Traces of Atlantis 23 of 52
by Echowarrior
Summary: Multiple threads come to a head as a MiniCon rebellion strikes the Decepticons. Meanwhile, Hot Shot and Starscream discover a clue to the location of the Atlantis starship, leading to serious changes in the war.


Traces of Atlantis

A Transformers: Armada Story

By William Rendfeld

Weapons fire burst through the air as Optimus Prime cried out, "Autobots, stand your ground!"

With a confident chuckle, Megatron noted, "Come now, Prime, you haven't a chance! Give up while you can, and perhaps we'll let you escape!"

As the sun beat down upon the gathered, warring Transformers in the Sahara Desert, wind swept through the air, sand swirling about them excitedly. The assembled Autobots stood their ground, weapons firing at their Decepticon adversaries and concentrating upon the massive form of Tidal Wave.

As Overhaul smashed into Slugslinger, ripping off the Decepticon's shoulder cannon in the process, Prime radioed in, "Hot Shot, Blurr, status report!"

* * *

"We're coming up on the pod now, Optimus!" Hot Shot reported as he drove through the desert, Blurr flying overhead. "No sign of Decepticon activity yet."

"We'll keep Megatron busy," Optimus replied, "but don't keep us waiting too long; we can't hold out forever."

"Understood," Hot Shot replied before cutting off the comm.-line. He then said bitterly, "I hope for all our sakes that we actually do find that pod."

"Well don't blame me for all this," Alexis noted from within Hot Shot, giving Rad the hairy eyeball.

"You wanted to see all this up close!" Rad protested.

"It doesn't matter who decided to hide on the flight pod," Hot Shot sternly said. "Look, the three of you are taking a terrible risk just being here. You're lucky you weren't hurt when Tidal Wave smashed through it like that."

"Yeah, that was a stupid idea," Rad noted.

Hot Shot sighed, then said, "Well, you haven't been hurt yet anyway. I just hope our luck holds out."

"You and me both," Blurr replied. "You still strapped in, Carlos?"

"Yeah," Carlos replied, anxiety etched on his face. "But I am definitely gonna regret this."

* * *

"Megatron, we're at a tactical disadvantage!" Thrust declared as he poured laser fire into the Autobot lines, prompting them to dodge to one side or another in the sand. "We have to end this battle, and quickly!"

"Agreed," Megatron noted. "Perhaps its time the Autobots learned why it is so foolish to strike against me, yes. Tidal Wave, to me!"

The titanic Decepticon nodded, then transformed, first into his massive sea craft mode, then separating into three unique sea-faring vehicles. One connected into Megatron's back as his weapons array swung forward onto his chest, the remaining two connecting directly to his arms.

"Let us see how Prime deals with true power!" Megatron declared as massive engines in Tidal Wave came alive, rocketing him skyward.

"Optimus, we've got a problem!" Beachcomber called, pointing towards the rising Megatron.

Optimus cast his gaze and caught sight of the massive Transformer. "Then it's high time we solved it. Jetfire, Overload!"

"Right with ya, boss!" Jetfire replied. "Powerlinx!"

As the other Autobots increased their fire against the Decepticons, the three larger Autobots underwent a series of transformations. Jetfire tossed his shield and gun to Optimus, who deftly caught the gun and allowed the shield to latch onto his back. Optimus, meanwhile, shifted into the familiar form of his Super Mode's upper body. Overload shifted as well, Rollout disconnecting and allowing the large weapons frame to latch up to Optimus's Super Mode back. Jetfire, meanwhile, transformed into a lower body and a pair of legs, latching up with Optimus's waist and allowing the twin cannons from Overload to swing into place. Sparkplug and Over-Run linked up with ports on the combined form's shoulders as Comettor linked up with Jetfire's gun, both it and Optimus's own cannon in the combined form's hands.

"Optimus Prime, Magna Jet mode online!" Optimus declared, swiftly blasting skywards.

"How original, Optimus," Megatron noted, hovering menacingly overhead. "Let's see if this new mode of yours is truly up to snuff!"

With those words, Megatron opened fire, missiles and blasts from his fusion cannon raining down upon Optimus Prime from up above. Despite his heavy weight, Optimus avoided the blasts of weapons fire, then took aim and fired a massive returning blast from both his guns and Overload's payload. The blast hit Megatron hard, tearing hard into his armor.

"Most impressive, Prime," Megatron noted before returning fire. "But you can't keep this up forever!"

"I don't need to!" Optimus countered, sending off a volley all his own.

* * *

"We're zeroing in on it," Blurr reported. "Hold on; looks like we've got a sandstorm ahead."

"Kinda small to be a sandstorm," Carlos noted from within Blurr's drivers compartment, gazing upon the massive burst of sand coming up before them. "Wait a second, I see something!"

"Sensors have a lock," Hot Shot replied. "Decepticons."

* * *

"Right on cue," Skywarp noted as he kept watch above the Mini-Con pod, Thunderclash and the Air Military Team buzzing around it, moving sand out of the way as they went. "You done down there yet, Starscream?"

"Just a few more nanos," Starscream replied as the sand around the pod was blown away with the wind. "Almost have it...almost...there!"

As Starscream watched, the pod slowly began to reveal itself in the sand, its silver domed surface reflecting in the midday sun. Transforming one of his arms out of his vehicle mode, Starscream activated a small laser-torch in his finger, then began cutting through the roof of the pod.

"I'll only need a few micro-cycles to cut a hole into the pod," Starscream promised. "Any sign of incoming?"

Skywarp looked to the distance and reported, "Couple Autobots inbound; Hot Shot and Blurr."

"Good," Starscream replied. "Better they get whoever's in this pod than Megatron."

With those words, Starscream's torch cut all the way through the pod's roof, and the Decepticon gave a sigh of relief.

And then everything went straight to hell.

* * *

A massive explosion tore through the air, catching the attention of the warring Transformers in the distance. Quickly activating a communications line, Optimus called out, "Hot Shot, Blurr, report!"

"Some sort of explosion directly under the Mini-Con pod," Hot Shot reported. "Blurr and some of the 'Cons that have been over in here have been knocked back but no one's hurt bad...aw slag-!"

"Hot Shot?" Optimus asked. "Hot Shot, respond!"

* * *

Much to the surprise of Hot Shot and his passengers, sand was quickly collapsing beneath them, pouring underground like a whirlpool of silt and silica.

"Hot Shot, get us out of here!" Rad called out.

"Not like I'm trying!" Hot Shot called back, his wheels madly spinning beneath him. "But I can't get a good grip in this sand!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Alexis asked.

"Stay calm and make sure the doors are fully sealed," Hot Shot answered. "That sand's rushing down somewhere; at least that way you'll make it down in one piece."

The kids held tight to their armrests, worry growing on their faces as they slipped down into the ground, sand slowly engulfing them.

* * *

From a slight distance away, Skywarp slowly regained consciousness, then transformed to robot mode. Noticing the reviving forms of Thunderclash and the Air Military Team, he asked, "Everyone alright?"

"We'll manage," Gunbarrel tersely replied as he got to his feet. "Where are Starscream and the yellow Autobot?"

"That's my question," Skywarp asked as he examined some of the wreckage from the Mini-Con pod. "Looks like someone planted a bomb in that thing. Probably got the Mini-Cons out before they did it, left the pod here as bait."

"Starscream! Skywarp! Report!" Megatron's voice bellowed over the comm.-line.

"Skywarp here," the Decepticon replied. "The pod was rigged; there was a bomb planted inside. No sign of Starscream or if there were any Mini-Cons inside."

Megatron growled, then reported, "Withdraw immediately. We've wasted enough time here."

The line closed, and Terradive asked, "So, we just going to leave without looking for Starscream?"

"Not much choice," Skywarp replied. "Besides, we didn't suffer much damage from the explosion; chances are good that Starscream's in one piece. We'll see him again."

The four Mini-Cons looked amongst themselves uneasily, then finally linked up with Skywarp. He dropped the fragment of wreckage he had found, and placed a small device near it before fading from sight.

* * *

Hector Mendoza rubbed the bridge of his nose, then carefully said, "What you have told me is a great deal to accept, Michael."

"It is, I won't deny it," Colonel Franklin noted. "But it is the truth."

Hector sighed. "Giant robots. A ship full of giant robots, in my own country. First the drug lords, and now this. You realize this will cause quite a stir; most of the people in my government will want to take advantage of this, and others will see these robots as a threat. Based on what you've told me, I cannot blame them."

"I've thought as much," Franklin noted. "Which is why we're willing to make an offer. For the time being, the Autobots and Mini-Cons wish to minimize their presence on Earth."

"Minimizing their presence won't be so easy as long as these...Decepticons are active," Hector noted. "Besides, my government knows about them now. What do they intend to do?"

"Ask for your silence, and give you the same offer they gave us in the bargain," Franklin replied. "The United States recently signed a treaty with the Transformers; in return for our silence and assistance in the Autobots' efforts on Earth, we receive a small leg up in terms of scientific research and technological development. They're willing to extend the deal to Colombia."

Hector gave him a critical look and asked, "Technological development?"

"Weapons were forbidden in the deal," Franklin explained. "Everything else, however, is free game."

The Colombian representative gave him a stern look, then said, "There isn't much to be done, is there?" He sighed, then said, "I'll discuss this with my government. We'll send word back to you as soon as possible, but I wouldn't be optimistic about it." With a smile, he replied, "Though knowing you that will be next to impossible, Michael. You were always an optimist."

"Comes from a Christian upbringing," Franklin replied. "But this still leaves us with that ship."

"That my government has discussed," Hector answered, maintaining his smile. "Officially, that area is still considered an archaeological dig area. The Autobots can go ahead and retrieve what they need from that ship. They just need to do so quickly, before anyone gets too curious."

"I have a feeling that won't be a problem," Franklin replied.

* * *

Carlos slowly awoke as he heard Blurr's voice ask, "Carlos...hey kid, you okay?"

Carlos groaned, then answered, "Yeah, I'm okay. What happened?"

"We got caught in an explosion," Blurr said matter-of-factly. "No sign of Hot Shot, Jolt, Alexis or Rad."

"You don't think they're hurt, do you?" Carlos asked.

"Not sure," Blurr replied as he tested his engines and attempted to get airborne.

"Blurr, report in!" Beachcomber's voice called out over the radio. "You reading me kid?"

"Loud and clear," Blurr replied. "Not sure what just happened."

"An explosion is what just happened," Overhaul said gruffly over the same comm.-line. "Now I suggest you transform and give it a proper scan."

"Would if I wanted blood and guts on my head," Blurr said with irritation.

Carlos unbuckled himself and climbed out as Blurr opened his hatch, allowing the Autobot to transform to robot mode. He quickly rushed over to a bit of wreckage and said, "Take a look at this!"

Blurr walked over and carefully scooped up the bit of metal.

"You think someone blasted the pod?" Carlos asked.

"No, the blast marks don't look right," Blurr replied. "More likely someone rigged the pod to blow, got the Mini-Cons out beforehand. The question is...who?"

* * *

"Looks like the bulks took the bait," Dualor noted as he looked upon a small display screen. "One of the rigged pods has been destroyed."

"Lucky that we weren't in it," a large blue Mini-Con noted sourly.

Dualor turned to the Mini-Con and said, "That's no way to treat the ones who brought you back online, Armorhide. After all, we're all in this together."

"You still haven't explained exactly what this is, Dualor," Armorhide replied with narrowed optics. "Or how you managed to get all this taken care of."

Dualor motioned for the larger Mini-Con to follow him, then explained, "In the aftermath of the last war, I realized something. The bulks don't care about us. Megatron rebelled because he wanted us for power, as cannon fodder and weapons. Had anyone truly cared about us, they would have wiped out him and every Decepticon who sided with him. But they didn't; the Autobots abandoned us, our leadership sent us into exile, and the Decepticons did nothing but keep spies on Megatron. I intend to rectify that bit of short-sightedness."

"By doing what?" Armorhide asked. "Eliminating Megatron?"

"Precisely," Dualor explained.

The large Mini-Con snorted in disbelief. "It'd take an army, and a great deal more firepower than you could muster on your own."

As the two stepped onto the surface of the moon, Dualor noted with a smile, "It's a good thing that I have both, then."

Gathered about them were Mini-Cons of varying shapes and colors, numbering around two dozen.

"Shortly after my team and I were recovered, I started gathering as much information as I could," Dualor explained. "Eventually, I managed to get in contact with a human arms merchant who was sympathetic to my goals. He helped me to retrieve you and all the rest of our brethren in return for a few choice bits of Cybertronian technology. And now, thanks to him and a few little donations here and there from the Decepticons, we are ready. Soon, we will have a place all to ourselves, a homeland. And no one will be able to do anything about it."

* * *

Off in the distance, a single blue and white Mini-Con looked over the proceedings and said softly, "Well, looks like it's time to call in the cavalry."

* * *

"The good news is, we're down to our last load of equipment from the _Acheron_," Rhinox reported. "Cheetor and Airazor are removing the power core as we speak. As soon as they're done, we'll be able to transfer it to the base site."

"That's the best news I've heard in a long time," Red Alert replied via comm.-line. "Believe me, the sooner we have that facility online, the sooner we'll all have restful recharge cycles."

"No argument there," Rhinox replied. "Any word yet from Prime?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Red Alert answered. "The pod was rigged with explosives; Hot Shot's missing. Not to mention the Decepticons decided to drop in. Their flight pod's damaged; they won't be heading back for a while."

"Do you think he'll need reinforcements?" Rhinox asked.

"No," Red Alert replied. "Optimus has a great deal of help as it is. You're better off helping at the base site for now. If he needs help, he'll send word."

"Understood," Rhinox replied. "Keep safe." The line cut off, and the Autobot quietly said to himself, "Primus help us if this turns out to be more than it seems."

* * *

From her perch atop the _Acheron_'s resting place, Crystal Widow looked out over the horizon, her green optics scanning the landscape with a sorrowful expression on her face. A light crash of rocks caught her attention, and she turned to face her arrival.

"Had a feeling you'd be up here," Longhorn noted, dropping the remaining rock in his hand to the ground. He transformed into his ram mode, then leapt up to her perch before transforming back to robot mode and asking, "Something on your mind?"

"Nearly three million stellar cycles, Longhorn," Crystal Widow replied sorrowfully. "That's how long we'd been stuck in stasis. Almost makes you think they'd forgotten us."

"Still thinking about that, huh?" Longhorn asked. "Look, Crystal...I'm not saying that Prime shouldn't be held accountable for all this. We're part of his forces; he's responsible for keeping us safe. At the same time...I don't think he wanted this to happen to us. It's not his style."

"Still...I feel like I deserved it," Crystal Widow replied.

Longhorn turned to her and said, "You're still blaming yourself for that? Crystal, you didn't know. None of us did. No one expected the Quints to start putting homing beacons in us, no one expected them to capture us or experiment on us. It's their fault that we've got gooey organic bits, not yours. Besides, these have kinda worked out, haven't they?"

"I suppose," Crystal Widow replied. "Still, I wish it hadn't happened. Predacon may be quick to see the pros of all this, but I'm not."

"Never said you needed to," Longhorn said. "Now come on; we're about to ship out."

Crystal Widow sighed, then got to her feet as Longhorn leapt down to the ground. She followed, and silently shook her head. "One more thing that can get messed up."

* * *

Carlos nervously looked down at his feet, then said, "I know we shouldn't have snuck onto the flight pod like we did. I know we made a big mistake, and we could've been hurt, and..."

"And I think you've more than learned this particular lesson," Diana Masters noted, looking down towards her former student. "As far as we know, Rad and Alexis are okay, so save your self-blame for when something really terrible happens."

"And take this as a lesson for next time," Optimus Prime said sternly.

Carlos looked up, and nodded. "So why are we all here, other than that Mini-Con pod?"

"You remember everything about Atlantis?" Diana asked. "It turns out my old college roommate found a lead out here; a fragment from the _Atlantis_'s hull. Aside from the pod, we think we can find Atlantis itself, or at least a clue to its location."

"Unfortunately, we haven't found anything so far," Optimus noted. "And with Hot Shot missing with Rad and Alexis and a damaged flight pod, we'll be delayed for some time."

A chirp sounded from a nearby control panel, catching the trio's attention. From the console, Sparkplug activated the line and said, "Go ahead Sideswipe, we read you."

"We've got this strange signal coming from the moon," Sideswipe's voice answered. "It's like the signal from the Mini-Con pods, just on a different wavelength."

"We did have a few on the map that ended up not making it to Earth," Diana reasoned. "Maybe some ended up on the moon."

"If that's the case, how are we supposed to get to them?" Sparkplug asked. "The only Autobot here that can make the trip is Jetfire, and I'd rather have him here in case something happens."

"I've got a hunch Megatron's going to be busy for the time being," Jetfire noted as he entered, having been listening in just out of eye contact. "Besides, I think this is just as important as finding Hot Shot and the kids."

"Agreed," Optimus noted.

Sparkplug sighed, then said into the comm.-line, "Jetfire's gonna check it out. Send coordinates."

"No offense Optimus, but this doesn't exactly sound like a walk in the park," Diana noted. "What's stopping him from being spotted on the Decepticons' sensors?"

"Absolutely nothing," Optimus replied.

"But the bigger question is..." Jetfire started, then finished as his voice shifted in tone and inflection, "...will they recognoize me?"

As Diana and Carlos watched in shock, Jetfire's color scheme changed from the familiar red, black and white to varying shades of purple, gold, olive and crimson, the Autobot emblems shifting into Decepticon ones. As his optics shifted color to red, he said in what sounded like an Australian accent, "For the time bein', Jetfire's out ta lunch. The name's Sky Shadow."

* * *

"You left Starscream behind?" Wheeljack asked in disbelief. "How could you?"

"Didn't have much choice," Skywarp curtly replied. "I didn't see any sign of him down there. It's likely he got caught up in the explosion, buried in some sand."

"You could've looked for him," Wheeljack pressed.

"Kid, I know you have issues about all of this," Skywarp said firmly. "But I wasn't happy about doing it, alright? Screamer and I go way back, far enough that I think of him like a brother. But there wasn't anything I could do. Besides, he'll be found; the Autobots most likely saw that explosion and will investigate. They'll find him, patch him up if he needs it."

"I'm not saying they won't," Wheeljack replied. "I'm just saying..."

"He's one of us," Thundercracker said, leaning against the side of the _Nemesis_'s hull. "We know, kid. He'll be alright, though; Starscream's a big bot, he can weld his own seams and everything."

Wheeljack looked at the two warily, then said, "I hope you're right. But what do we do now?"

"I guess I take over in his stead," Skywarp replied. "And we do what we can to keep things together."

Wheeljack turned to face the window, and looked upon the Earth in the distance. "I just hope he's alright."

* * *

Hot Shot spun his wheels, attempting to get some traction in the large pile of sand he found himself trapped in. Finally, he managed to find purchase, and rolled quickly onto level ground. He gave a sigh of relief, then asked, "You okay kids?"

"Yeah, I think," Alexis said, slowly opening her door. "The air's so stale down here."

"No one's probably been down here for millennia," Hot Shot guessed as Rad and Alexis climbed out of his cab. He transformed, then asked, "You okay Jolt?"

Jolt disconnected from the larger Transformer's gun, transformed and landed, shaking sand out of his joints. "Ask me again after I've had an oil bath."

A clear grunt caught the quartet's attention, and they looked to find a large robotic form struggling to get out from the massive pile of sand.

"Jolt, stay with the kids," Hot Shot ordered as he rushed forward and stored his rifle, taking hold of one of the robot's limbs and helping him to dig himself out.

"Jolt, what's going on?" Rad asked. "Who's that in the sand?"

"I'm not sure," Jolt replied as the robot was slowly dug out. "But I think it's...Starscream!"

"The Decepticon?" Rad asked.

Starscream's head and upper body burst out of the sand pile at that point, confirming Jolt's suspicions. Hot Shot took hold of the larger Transformer and said, "Easy there, I've got you."

"Why's he helping him?" Rad asked, a demanding tone in his voice. "I mean, he's the bad guy! Why...?"

"Rad, wait," Alexis said softly as Starscream got to his feet.

"You okay?" Hot Shot asked.

"Give me a nano-click," Starscream said, testing his limbs and working the sand out of his joints. "Swindle?"

The red and black Mini-Con popped from his port and said, "Still in one piece, no major harm done."

"Good," Starscream said in relief. He noticed the two human children and said, "Since when has Optimus been allowing you to bring humans along on your missions?"

"He didn't exactly allow it," Hot Shot explained. "They tagged along." He turned back to the kids and said, "Rad, Alexis, this is Starscream. He's our fifth column."

"Fifth column?" Rad asked.

"He's allied with the Autobots," Alexis realized aloud. "A spy in Megatron's ranks."

"More of a mole," Starscream clarified. "I've been working against Megatron for eons; it's only recently that I've been able to make any serious progress against him. At least until the _Acheron_ was found."

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Rad asked. "I mean, this is big!"

"Yes, and that's exactly why you didn't know," Jolt explained. "We thought the Decepticons might capture you, try and get information from you. If that happened and you'd known about Starscream, he would have been exposed and everything he'd done would have been wasted."

"He's been working with other Decepticons who are against Megatron, trying to convince others to work with him," Hot Shot added. "Plus he's been looking after the Mini-Cons that the 'Cons have supposedly captured."

"Although that may no longer matter considering our current state of affairs," Starscream replied. "For the time being, we're trapped down here...wherever here is."

Alexis walked to what appeared to be a wall and said, "Wherever we are, it doesn't look natural. This is some kind of building; the walls are way too smooth to be made by anything other than artificial means."

"You have good judgment," Starscream noted, his eyes shifting color. "It looks like we're in some sort of domed construct. The explosion from the stasis unit must have caused the roof to partially shatter, drawing us down here with the sand. And now the hole's been blocked by the sand flow, so we may not be able to escape."

"So we're stuck here?" Rad asked.

"I never said that," Starscream replied. "Light may not be getting down to us, but that doesn't mean we're trapped here. With a strong enough signal we may be able to attract attention from above."

"So what do we need?" Hot Shot asked.

"I have fairly advanced communications systems," Starscream replied. "If I had something that I could access for an easy signal boost, I should be able to get a signal out."

Alexis pulled her communicator from her pocket and asked, "Something like this? The Autobots gave us these in case they needed to contact us, or vice versa."

"That might just be it," Starscream noted, stepping forward and kneeling down. He extended his hand, and Alexis gently placed it upon his open palm. "Thank you."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Rad asked.

"Rad, we can trust him," Alexis assured him. "I know it."

Small wires shot out from Starscream's palm and hooked into the phone. As he activated it, he said, "It may take me some time to calibrate this. You'd best have a look around, see if there's any other means of entry to this place."

Hot Shot pulled out his rifle and turned on a small light, casting it over the walls. He quickly found an area where the light extended far forward and said, "Looks like we've got a hallway of some kind over there. C'mon kids, let's have a look around."

"Hot Shot, if you don't mind," Alexis spoke up, "I'd like to stay here, keep Starscream company."

"That's fine," Hot Shot replied. "I'll send word back if I find anything."

"Just keep your optics open," Starscream told him. "No telling what's waiting for us down here."

* * *

"Ye best watch yerself, land-lubber," a brown and purple Mini-Con threatened menacingly, a massive cannon on one arm loaded and ready.

"You think you can take me?" a second Mini-Con colored dark blue and off-white asked, readying his own guns. "Do you?"

The clear whirring of a drill caught their attention as Drill Bit stepped forward and said, "Now gentlemen, we won't have any fights amongst ourselves. It's uncivilized."

"I'll give you-!" the second Mini-Con cried out in response.

Drill Bit countered by tearing through one of the Mini-Con's missiles, causing it to detonate and send the Mini-Con sprawling to the ground. "Have I made my point, Fetch?"

Fetch growled, then got to his feet.

"Keep to your team," Drill Bit ordered. He turned to face the other Mini-Con and said, "You as well, Waterlog."

The two Mini-Cons grumbled, then did as they were told.

Watching from nearby, a quartet of Mini-Cons kept to themselves, content to stay out of sight. "Can you believe we're stuck with these mechs?" an orange-colored one asked, her voice expressing irritation. "They're little better than criminals."

"I don't like it much myself, Ironhide," Armorhide noted as he looked upon the gathered Mini-Con army. "I don't trust Dualor; never have, never will. Unfortunately, we don't have too many options."

"You think we could somehow get a signal out?" asked one tall, somewhat lithe Mini-Con. "I mean, someone's gotta pick it up."

"Like the Decepticons?" Armorhide asked. "Sorry Nightcruz; it's not worth the risk."

"Well what are we supposed to do?" a last Mini-Con asked, her purple armor making her stand out from the chalky grey lunar landscape. "We aren't fighters, Armorhide; not all of us. We need a plan, a solution."

"Would you have a problem with this solution?" a voice asked, taking them by surprise.

The four looked about, then found a familiar yellow head and body emerging from the ground, the Transformer's optics looking towards them with a pleasant expression.

"Monocle?" Armorhide asked. "What are you doing here?"

"The usual," Monocle said pleasantly. "Contemplating the universe, digging tunnels in the lunar soil, amusing myself. Care to explore the tunnel I made? It's quite pleasant, and there's a very nice light at the end of it."

Armorhide looked at the Mini-Con in surprise, then gave a knowing and thankful smile. "I think we'll take you up on that."

"Excellent," Monocle said, transforming a split-second afterwards. "Quickly, before they notice us."

The yellow Mini-Con led the way as Armorhide, Ironhide and Cliffjumper each transformed to their vehicle modes and drove into the tunnel, Nightcruz climbing in after them.

* * *

Ironhide was almost convinced this would never come; after two weeks of digging, excavation and Energon extraction, the new Autobot base site was almost finished. All that was left were the installation of the remaining systems and backups from the _Acheron_ and the remaining bits of wall, and the base would be online and fully operational. It was a wonderful feeling, no question.

And it didn't hurt that they had some unexpected help.

"How's that?" Magna Stampede's voice asked over comm.-line.

"That did it, MS," Lori happily reported from her position on a monitor console as she watched a green bar stretch across the middle of the monitor. "Power's feeding into all systems from the reactor."

"Excellent news," Magna Stampede replied. "What remains to be done?"

"We still need to cut out the temporary batteries from the lift systems and get them stored," Ironhide said. "Afterwards, get the rest of the walls up."

"Understood," Magna Stampede said before the line was cut off. Another line opened as another voice said, "We've got power down in the launch bays; you ready to test them out?"

"You've got a go, Hoist," Coby affirmed from another console.

Additional monitors sprang to life showing external and internal views of the base as areas in the mountain opened and ramps and launch bays were deployed, the familiar forms of Hoist, Airazor and Vector Prime blasting out from three distinct launch areas, a fourth deploying but remaining empty save for one small figure.

"This is Bud reporting in!" a familiar voice chimed in. "Launch was successful! Thunderbirds are go!"

Ironhide laughed despite himself, and asked, "Is there any TV show that kid doesn't watch?"

"You'd be surprised what Bud'll watch when he's bored," Coby replied. "Just surprises me that you got the reference."

"How do you think us Transformers know how to speak Earth languages, a correspondence course?" Scavenger noted with a chuckle as he walked into the command center. "Looks like everything's working to perfection, Ironhide; now you can congratulate yourself."

"It was a team effort, sir," Ironhide said, trying his best to sound modest. "Besides, we're not finished; the lifts are still a little slow sometimes, especially near the lower levels, and we haven't fully removed the starter batteries from the power supply. But it looks like everything's gonna work; at this rate, we'll have the base online by nightfall."

"Well, this is still nothing to laugh at," Scavenger replied. His tone shifting, he said, "Any word yet from Optimus?"

"Nothing yet," Ironhide reported. "Jetfire's heading to investigate that signal on the moon, but there's no word about Hot Shot. You worried about him?"

"Not too much," Scavenger replied. "Still, I'll feel better when I know for a fact that he's alright. Keep me informed, and make sure the kids get home safe."

"Understood," Ironhide said with a nod.

With that done, Scavenger left, leaving Ironhide and the kids to themselves.

* * *

"Something bugging you Rad?" Hot Shot asked as they walked down the hall, Jolt beside them. "Normally you're not so quiet."

Rad shook his head. "Sorry Hot Shot. It's just...that Starscream and all."

"Jealous that Alexis is giving him so much attention?" Hot Shot asked jokingly.

"A little," Rad admitted in a very low voice. "He's a Decepticon; I thought all you guys were supposed to be fighting each other."

"Who said we had to?" Hot Shot asked. "Most Decepticons aren't evil; the only ones who really begin to qualify are Megatron and some of his troops. Starscream's just with them to keep an eye on them, try and convince some of them to turn away from him. Optimus trusts him; I figure that's more than enough to give him the benefit of the doubt." With a smirk, he said, "As for Alexis, I think she's just a little curious is all. You still have a shot at her."

Rad gave him a look and said, "What makes you think I want a shot at her?"

"Well it is kinda obvious," Jolt said.

"Jolt!" Rad protested.

Before that conversation could continue, a blue glow began to form around the three, catching their attention. They found themselves within a smaller chamber, a large white circle of light in the middle of the room and a glowing bit of floor near it casting more light, bringing into sharp relief numerous runes engraved into the chamber walls. As they watched, blue lights came online, bathing them in an ethereal glow.

"Whoa," Rad asked. "What is all this?"

"Not sure," Hot Shot replied. "But offhand, I'd say we've found something big."

* * *

"Is something bothering you?" Starscream asked of his young companion.

"Sorry," Alexis replied in an embarrassed tone, looking up towards the sitting Decepticon. "This is just the first time that I've been with a Decepticon. When one wasn't trying to shoot me anyway."

Starscream smiled, then replied, "It's an experience for both of us then; this is my first time in the presence of a human. When I wasn't inciting panic." With a sigh, he admitted, "It's a shame, really. I'd prefer to meet more of your people, Alexis."

"You mean that?" Alexis asked. "Really?"

"Humans fascinate me," Starscream admitted. "We Transformers have existed for several million years. Our technology, our knowledge of the universe, the foundation of our people, all were practically given to us on a platter. But your people didn't have that; you've gotten this far on your own, and you've gotten so much of it correct."

"We haven't exactly been perfect," Alexis noted. "My father was forced to leave his home because his views weren't accepted."

"I never said you were perfect," Starscream replied. "That's something that even we Transformers can't attest to. But you're still doing what you can to improve as a race, as individuals. You're getting better. That's what I admire most about humanity; you never stop trying."

With a light smile, Alexis said, "I guess that's one way to put it."

A light beep issued from Starscream's rigged communicator. "There. Signal's out." Starscream replied. "It shouldn't take too long to reach Prime; knowing him, he's looking for us even as we speak. Give it a few hours, and we'll be home free."

A small chime started up as a comm.-line came in. "Starscream, this is Hot Shot. Rad and I have found this strange chamber at the other end of the structure; looks like some kind of projection room."

"We'll be over shortly," Starscream answered before cutting off the line.

"Good news?" Alexis asked.

"One would hope," Starscream said as he got to his feet.

* * *

"My fellow Mini-Cons," Dualor said with pride, "our time has come at last. Starscream is left on Earth; the Decepticons are weakened. It is time we struck back against Megatron once and for all!"

Loud cheers and cries of agreement rose up among the gathered Mini-Cons as Buzzsaw leaned in close. "Dualor, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, we haven't gathered everyone together yet; there are still Mini-Con pods left on Earth."

"Starscream made the foolish decision not to finish off Megatron when he had the chance," Dualor explained. "Now he has to deal with the Eclipse Team. I won't repeat his mistake." As a black and grey Mini-Con approached, he asked, "Yes, Razorclaw?"

"We're missing a few," Razorclaw reported. "You want my team to go after them?"

"No," Dualor replied. "We need all of us for the time being. Once we've dealt with the Decepticons, then we'll handle the remaining loose ends."

* * *

"Ladies and gentle-bots, welcome to your new rest stop," Monocle said affectionately as he led them out of the tunnel he'd dug. "I'm home everyone."

"Welcome back, Monocle," a blue robot with a rotating right optic noted happily as Monocle transformed to robot mode and his escorts arrived. "It's good to see you again, old friends."

"Astroscope?" Armorhide said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you any time soon."

Arrayed around the group in an empty Mini-Con stasis unit was a small collection of Mini-Cons; Astroscope and his comrades in the Space Team, Monocle's associates in the Exploration Team, and the familiar trio of the Energon Team.

"It was kind of a surprise for all of us," Sky Blast noted. "When I saw you guys with Dualor, I figured it'd be smart to get you out of there before the fireworks started."

"Fireworks?" Nightcruz asked. "What's going on?"

"All I know is that Dualor's planning on taking out Megatron, then turning his attention to Earth if the Autobots don't play ball with him," Armorhide noted to the taller Mini-Con. He turned to Astroscope and said, "You probably know more than I do."

"Unfortunately, yes," Astroscope replied. "We've been keeping watch on Dualor's group since our reactivation; he's been building that army for some time now. Based on what we know..."

"Scopes, let me," Payload interrupted. "He's planning on knocking off Megatron using his own troops."

"How?" Cliffjumper asked. "A Mini-Con can't take control of a larger Transformer."

"One alone, no," came a response from Landslide as he looked up from the ground, breaking his meditation. "Several together, however, can control a large Transformer via a group Powerlink."

"That does make sense," Cliffjumper noted. "A large influx of energy would be enough to override a larger Transformer's motor controls; they'd be prisoners in their own bodies, and the Mini-Cons would be in control of a larger, significantly enhanced Decepticon loaded for bear."

"And the 'Cons having Tidal Wave back doesn't exactly help out much," Wreckage noted from one corner with a bitter tone. "Though me, I say let him. One less problem for us to deal with."

"That may be," Skyboom noted, "but what happens afterwards?"

Armorhide thought for a second, then said, "Dualor mentioned something about having contacts on Earth. You don't suppose he'll try something involving the locals?"

"He's more than willing to try it," Payload replied.

"So what do we do?" Ironhide asked. "I mean, we can't fight him."

"I've already taken the liberty of addressing that particular problem," Astroscope replied. "We've sent a small carrier signal out; based on our sensor scans, we're going to have a little help very soon."

* * *

"Megatron, I've detected something on our short-range sensors," Thrust reported as he looked over the sensor screens in the _Nemesis_'s control center. As Megatron stepped forward, he explained, "It looks to be a Decepticon spark signature, but it's not one that the sensors recognize."

"An unexpected guest, hm?" Megatron asked. "Calculate flight path."

Thrust quickly typed in some commands as the sensor screen shrunk, allowing a projected flight path to appear. "It looks like whatever's coming is headed toward a small area on this moon, some ways distant from the ship. Origin point is Earth."

"Starscream?" Megatron speculated out loud. "Hm. No matter." He opened a communications line and declared, "Thunderblast, Shortround, Slugslinger, we have a visitor coming. I want you to roll out the welcome mat."

* * *

"Well, it's safe to say this is where we need to look for 'em," Beachcomber noted as he knelt down and picked up a small transmitter from the ground. "Someone purposely left this here, probably one of the 'Cons."

"Not exactly much confidence in us, huh?" Overhaul asked.

"Either that or just wanting to make sure the job got done," Beachcomber replied. His sensors registered a quick burst, and he quickly asked, "You picking that up?"

"Yeah," Overhaul replied. "Sounds like a comm. signal."

"Let's see if we can answer it," Beachcomber replied. He activated his comm. system then said, "This is Autobot Beachcomber, do you read me?"

A slightly garbled signal replied, "I read you, Beachcomber; this is Starscream. You can tell Optimus that Hot Shot and his two passengers are safe. The four of us are in some sort of artificial structure underneath the sand."

"Understood," Beachcomber replied. "We'll get word where it needs to go." He opened another line then reported, "Optimus, we've got a fix on Hot Shot and the kids; Starscream's with 'em in a building underground."

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Optimus answered over the line. "The flight pod's repaired; we're heading for your position now. Sit tight."

"Aye sir," Beachcomber said happily. "Hold tight down there; help's on the way."

* * *

"Now who do ya suppose would be coming to pay us a visit?" Slugslinger asked of his fellow Decepticons as they departed from the _Nemesis_ on foot.

"Who cares?" Thunderblast asked dismissively in reply. "Megatron's sending us to handle them, and I for one couldn't dream of disappointing him." She swooned, then said, "He's so...oh I can't begin to describe how perfect he is."

Slugslinger groaned, then said, "Come on, let's get going before I blow a turbine." He transformed to vehicle mode, then blasted off.

Thunderblast gave an irritated grunt, then said disdainfully, "Men," before her wings took on a brilliant red glow. "Come on, Shortround," she ordered before she followed Slugslinger, a brilliant red tail lancing forth behind her.

"Coming!" Shortround said nervously, transforming to vehicle mode and following along behind.

As the trio of Decepticons rushed away, a large grouping of Mini-Cons entered the ship, the doors slowly closing behind them.

* * *

"Now where do you suppose the three of them are off to?" Mudflap asked as he watched the trio's departure through a window.

"Not sure," Thundercracker said in reply. "I'm more concerned about why they're going myself."

"You don't suppose Megatron picked up a Mini-Con signal here on the moon, do you?" Mudflap asked as a loud clamor caught their attention.

"Guys, you won't believe this!" Cyclonus cried, rushing towards them. "We just picked up this Decepticon signature heading towards an area here on the moon, coming from Earth!"

"Reinforcements?" Mudflap asked. "Starscream, maybe?"

"Doubtful on either count," Thundercracker replied.

"Well, whoever it is, I wish I was going out there to meet 'em," Cyclonus said eagerly. "If he was coming for a fight, I'd tear him apart in a nano-click!"

"Yeah," Thundercracker noted, unimpressed. "Come on, Mudflap; we need to check on the Energon reserves."

As the two larger Transformers moved off, Cyclonus turned away and said, "Well I could. Nothing takes me down easy."

"Is that true?" a voice asked, catching Cyclonus off-guard.

The Decepticon darted his gaze about, startled, then finally cast his glance down upon a bulky, dark blue and black Mini-Con at his feet.

"Oh, just a Mini-Con," Cyclonus said with relief. "Wait a minute...I haven't seen you before."

"I hide in the darkness," the Mini-Con answered. "It is my ally...and your nightmare."

Those enigmatic words spoken, the Mini-Con leapt up and transformed, linking up with one of Cyclonus's Powerlinx ports. As Cyclonus watched in surprise, he felt a surge go through his systems, distracting him and bringing him to his knees.

"Well done, Broadside," Dualor noted as he stepped into view, his teammates in tow. "Buzzsaw, Drill Bit, if you please."

"What...what's hap..." Cyclonus asked as the two Mini-Cons linked up.

"You Decepticons have used us long enough," Dualor replied. "I think it's time you got a taste of your own medicine."

With those words, he transformed and Powerlinked with Cyclonus, sending further surges through the Decepticon's systems effectively knocking him unconscious.

After a couple seconds, Cyclonus's body twitched, and the Decepticon rose to his feet. He looked at his hands and flexed them, then spoke in a voice that mixed both his own and Dualor's; "Excellent."

* * *

"Well, I think we can say the signal got through," Payload noted. "We've got incoming; one large spark signature, one smaller."

"The smaller one is most likely a Mini-Con," Astroscope reasoned. "What of the larger?"

"Not close enough to get a proper match," Payload replied. "But considering where it's coming from, probably Autobot."

"Well, I'd say that counts as good news," Armorhide said with a smile.

Landslide looked up and said, "And this counts as bad news; we have much less welcome arrivals coming."

"How could he know?" Nightcruz asked.

"Don't argue," Astroscope replied. "I can't explain it, but he's unerring in situations like this." He turned to the Energon Team and said, "Skyboom, you and your team had best get ready."

"We will accompany them," Landslide promised, Monocle and Ascentor taking positions close to him. "Believe me, they will require all the assistance they can get."

"Certainly won't mind having ground support," Scattor noted hopefully.

Blasts peppered the ground as the gathered Mini-Cons spoke, quickly catching their attention. The group turned as one to find Shortround, Thunderblast and Slugslinger towering over them.

"Offhand, I'd say you need more than ground support," Thunderblast noted with a smug grin, her gun aimed directly at the gathered Mini-Cons. "Now, who wants to surrender first?"

Weapons fire peppered the three Decepticons immediately, leading them to step back.

"No one's surrenderin' here, missy!" came a voice from above as a massive, dark-colored space shuttle came down towards them, shifting into an equally massive robotic form. "Unless 'a course, you want to give it a go."

"And who exactly are you supposed to be?" Slugslinger asked.

"The name's Sky Shadow," the Transformer answered. "And you three are toast."

* * *

"He should've sent me, Brushguard," Tidal Wave said with a touch of arrogance as he leaned against the walls of the _Nemesis_. "Whoever our company is, I can tear them apart easy, no question."

"Yes, assuredly," Brushguard replied absentmindedly as he looked over some information on a data pad. "Ah, _Dionaea muscipula_...interesting..."

Tidal Wave groaned. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"The same could be said of you," another voice replied.

Seconds later, a massive burst lanced through the air, hitting Brushguard and sending a massive burst of energy through his body. The small blue Decepticon collapsed to the ground in a heap as Tidal Wave turned to see Cyclonus standing nearby, one arm raised.

"I must thank the Autobots for that wonderful little toy," Cyclonus noted with a smirk.

"Cyclonus?" Tidal Wave asked in surprise.

"Cyclonus is temporarily unavailable, I'm afraid," the possessed Decepticon said in a distorted, mixed voice. "And soon, you will be as well."

Tidal Wave looked down at Cyclonus in surprise seconds before he found a pair of dark blue and black Mini-Cons connecting with his legs. The remaining members of the Night Attack Team were quickly joined by the members of the Sea Team as the trio connected with Tidal Wave's arms. A massive surge of energy poured through Tidal Wave's frame as one last Mini-Con, a tiny purple jet Transformer, connected directly to his chest, silencing the larger Transformer's cries of pain.

As a smile crept across Tidal Wave's face, Cyclonus asked, "Is everything set, Ramjet?"

In a distorted voice, Tidal Wave answered, "Indeed."

"Excellent," Cyclonus prepared. "And now to deal with the rest of the Decepticons, and finally make certain that all the bulks know who's really in charge."

The two possessed Mini-Cons walked off, leaving the unconscious Brushguard crumpled on the floor. As they moved away, a fourth Decepticon leaned in from the shadows, his emerald optics trained on the two.

"Looks like we've got ourselves an old fashioned coup d'etat," Sharkticon noted silently. He opened a comm.-line, then said, "Skywarp, there's something you need to know."

* * *

"Well, aren't you tall, dark and mysterious," Thunderblast cooed sarcastically. She then took aim with her cannon and declared, "Give me two astro-seconds, and I'll blast you down to size!"

With those defiant words the Decepticon femme opened fire, her two comrades quickly following suit. Sky Shadow countered by raising his shield and taking the blows, sliding away and kicking up lunar dust as he went. Emerging unscathed, he said, "Now that's right un-ladylike of ya," before pulling out his own blaster and opening fire.

"And that's no way to treat a lady," Slugslinger noted with a malicious grin as he readied his cannon and opened fire, Shortround quickly joining in.

As the larger Transformers battled around them, Nightcruz was the first to ask, "Somebody mind telling me if one of these guys is on our side?"

"The larger one with the wings on his back," Astroscope said with confidence. "Trust me." He turned to the Energon Team and said, "About that air support?"

"On it!" Scattor replied as he, Wreckage and Skyboom transformed to vehicle mode and took flight.

"Monocle, Ascentor, it's time we went to ground," Landslide said decisively, he and his teammates transforming to vehicle mode and quickly going underground.

Furrows found themselves dug in the ground around the three Decepticons as the Energon Team circled from above, raining down laser fire.

"Annoyin' little bugs," Slugslinger noted as he pulled out a pair of blaster pistols and opened fire, narrowly missing the three Mini-Cons as they flew about. "Stand still!"

"Keep your optics on the target, Slugslinger!" Thunderblast yelled, still training her missile launcher on Sky Shadow despite the Mini-Con presence.

Shortround, nervously darting his sight between the attacking Decepticon and the attacking Mini-Cons, just started blasting randomly at his foes, hoping that one of his shots would hit a target. Unfortunately, none did.

"Shortround!" Thunderblast screamed. "Start blasting something that's blasting us!"

"Sorry," Shortround meekly replied.

As weapons fire continued to pound his shield, Sky Shadow looked to Astroscope and said, "Nice ta see you're still in good shape, 'Scopes."

"Likewise," Astroscope replied. "And it's nice to see that you're still charging to the rescue."

"Woulda brought back-up, but I was the only one who could make the trip," the large Transformer replied. "Speakin' of, you bots mind lendin' a hand?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Payload said appreciatively. "Come on, bots; it's scrappin' time!"

"Oh, like you can do anything!" Thunderblast called as a blue aura of energy surrounded her. "Cyber Key, LOCK!"

An aura of blue energy formed around her body frame, shooting skyward before assuming a key-like form and shooting into her missile launcher. A blue and silver flash burst forth from her body as the missile launcher opened up and unfolded, a larger, more dangerous-looking cannon emerging from within. With a blown kiss, she took aim, and then fired off a massive burst of energy.

What happened next seemed to take an eternity. The blast rocketed towards Sky Shadow even as the three members of the Space Team rose up, transformed, and began to connect into a massive shape.

Finally, the blast made contact with Sky Shadow's shield, causing the Transformer to inch backwards, his shield cracking under the impact of the blast. After a few seconds, the blast subsided...and Sky Shadow remained standing.

"Now that's right impressive," Sky Shadow said with a chuckle. "Let me try out one 'a those."

In his right hand, tightly held, was a long cannon, predominantly deep blue, white and black, its form literally calling out with terrible, mournful power.

As Sky Shadow took hold of the cannon's stock, Shortround looked in shock and said, "It can't be...that isn't...!"

"It is," Sky Shadow replied. "But in case it wasn't clear before..."

The large Transformer's back opened, and a single Mini-Con emerged from within and connected directly to the cannon, making it even more formidable.

"Now, two options," Sky Shadow declared. "Make tracks, or get scrapped. Take your pick."

"Clear the air, 'bots!" Scattor cried.

As the three members of the Energon Team blasted away, the members of the Exploration team burst back out of the ground at Sky Shadow's feet, shattering the ground around the three Decepticons and causing them to shift their footing.

"Y'know, on second thought," Sky Shadow noted with relish as he pulled out his blaster, "maybe I won't be needin' it."

The Transformer opened fire, blasting away at his opponents. Slugslinger and Shortround found themselves blasted away, crashing to the ground and leaving Thunderblast to herself.

The Decepticon femme looked at both of her fallen comrades in surprise, then said, "Well, you certainly know how to treat a girl." With a nervous chuckle, she added, "Y'know, this has been a wonderful first date...ciao!"

With those words, she blasted away, leaving a red-orange trail in her wake.

Sky Shadow grunted, then said, "Well, at least she knows when she's in over her head."

* * *

"Shortround and Slugslinger are down," Thrust reported as he watched from a monitor. "Thunderblast is returning to base."

Megatron growled in dissatisfaction, then rose from his 'throne' and said, "I suppose I will have to settle this myself. Contact Cyclonus and Tidal Wave; this intruder will not be shown any mercy, no."

"Exactly our thoughts about you, Megatron," an odd voice said.

As a massive electrical surge tore through Thrust's frame, Megatron turned to find Cyclonus and Tidal Wave standing in the entrance to the _Nemesis_'s command deck, fully loaded with Mini-Cons.

"I hope you don't mind our...intrusion, Megatron," Cyclonus noted, his voice clearly distorted. "We just had to drop in."

A small smile crossed Megatron's face, and he replied, "Not at all, Dualor. In fact, I've been expecting you."

One split-second later, and Megatron took aim with his fusion cannon. An additional split-second after that, and Cyclonus fired a missile directly into the cannon, causing it to blast apart from within and knocking Megatron to the floor.

"None of that now," Cyclonus noted as he stepped forward. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for this, Megatron? I'm not sure how long I spent, watching and waiting as you made your play, as you and the Autobots used us Mini-Cons as pawns. I don't know who was worse; you, for wanting to use us as weapons in a bid for galactic conquest, or Prime, for not having the wisdom to wipe you out when he had the chance during the Rebellion. Now I make certain that his mistake in judgment is properly rectified, and that we Mini-Cons never have to deal with insects like you again."

Groaning slightly, Megatron asked, "Tell me, Dualor, how exactly do you plan to do that? Prime won't exactly fault you for destroying me, mind, but I suspect he won't be too pleased over the matter either. After all, most Mini-Cons are quite happy to stay with the Autobots."

"He capitulated rather quickly when the Council of Sages chose to leave Cybertron," Cyclonus noted. "And I've taken precautions to make sure that he does the same."

"Ah...an ally on Earth?" Megatron asked.

"It's amazing who you can come in contact with over the Internet," Cyclonus mused. "After a week of research, I managed to find a very like-minded individual...one more than happy to provide me with enough resources to hold that blue-green speck of dirt hostage. Once you and your troops are disposed of, I'll make certain that the Autobots are driven away, leaving this moon to us Mini-Cons." The possessed Decepticon turned towards the fallen despot and said, "Ah, but I've blathered too much," before taking aim with his remaining missile and gun batteries. "Farewell, Megatron."

"Yes," Megatron noted with a satisfied grin. "Farewell."

With those words, Megatron reached forward with his right arm and grabbed hold of Cyclonus's leg, then extended his free hand towards the barely-visible Powerlinx point. Jutting out from his palm came a small knife, which effortlessly cut through the port and severed Dualor's connection to the Decepticon. As the Mini-Con fell to the floor, Megatron got to his feet and chucked the body of Cyclonus into the towering form of Tidal Wave, who effortlessly caught the flying Decepticon even as those Mini-Cons joined with him disconnected from their connection ports.

"No," Dualor noted in shock as he transformed to robot mode. "How...?"

"You should have chosen your allies more carefully, Dualor," Megatron said at last. "You forgot in your zeal that some Mini-Cons made the wise decision to stand beside me. Clench, for example."

With those words, a powerful blast slammed into Dualor's back, knocking the Mini-Con to his belly as a second group of Mini-Cons entered the command deck. Dualor rolled onto his own back, and looked upon the face of a purple and black Mini-Con, its left arm lightly releasing fumes from a concealed laser.

"I serve Megatron, usurper," Clench said proudly. "Nothing changes that."

As the Mini-Cons connected to Tidal Wave disconnected themselves from the hulking Transformer and Broadside did likewise from Cyclonus, Tidal Wave forcibly ripped Drill Bit and Buzzsaw from Cyclonus's arms, sending the two to the ground beside their leader.

"Now, I believe it's time you learned the futility of facing me in open combat," Megatron noted malevolently, looking to two of the Mini-Con teams as they stood at the ready.

Instantly, a trio of Mini-Cons leapt into the air and combined, forming a massive, gold and black-tipped sword that radiated energy. A second trio did likewise, combining into a massive cannon. The two weapons found themselves in Megatron's grasp, and the massive Decepticon cast his gaze down towards the cornered Destruction Team.

"Now you learn the price of crossing me," Megatron said as he took aim with the cannon and opened fire.

* * *

With a massive burst of air and wind, sand was blown away and light slowly began to radiate into the chamber. As Rad and Alexis covered their eyes from the light, more of the sand was blasted away, revealing more of the opening and allowing for easier access.

"We've got clear sight of the hole, Optimus," Hot Shot reported. "Better be careful coming in, though; the sand build-up'll give you a slippery landing."

"Don't worry about us, Hot Shot," Optimus replied. "Just stand still and make sure the kids don't get hurt."

"Roger that," Hot Shot replied, giving the two kids a smile as they sat upon his shoulder.

A few seconds later, Optimus Prime dropped down the hole via a grappling line, sliding down the pile of sand and coming to a comfortable stop. Beachcomber and Overhaul quickly followed, Carlos and Diana nestled in the former's hands. The three Transformers settled themselves as Optimus said, "I'm glad to see that everyone's alright. No injuries?"

"We're fine, Optimus," Alexis assured him as she and Rad climbed into one of Hot Shot's hands and were deposited onto the ground.

"One would hope," Diana noted, her face stern but her voice betraying her relief as Beachcomber allowed for her and Carlos to get to the ground. "I didn't want to have to explain what happened here to your parents."

Rad gave a nervous chuckle as Optimus asked of Hot Shot, "Where's Starscream?"

"He's examining a room on the other side of the building, down that hall," Hot Shot explained, pointing the way. "Rad, Jolt and I found it while he was working on getting a signal to you. He asked me to get you there when you got here."

"Let's not disappoint then," Optimus replied. "Lead the way."

Hot Shot nodded, then set off down the hall, the other Transformers and their human allies following behind. As they went, Diana turned on a flashlight and swept it over the walls.

"Something wrong, Miss Masters?" Carlos asked.

"Just trying to get an idea of how old this is," Diana explained. "I can't be accurate without a closer look, but based on the sand covering it, I'd say this was constructed a long time ago, maybe as long as ten thousand years."

"So this could be connected to _Atlantis_?" Rad asked.

"That's a safe bet," Diana replied.

"For all our sakes, I hope you're right," Optimus noted from above them as they reached the glowing chamber that Hot Shot had found earlier.

Kneeling near a wall and closely examining a set of runes, Starscream smiled, then said, "Glad to see you made it for the party." He rose and turned to the Autobots, then said, "Optimus. It's good to see you again, face to face."

"Agreed," Optimus replied. He took a quick glance around and said, "Any idea what this room is?"

"It's a records chamber," Starscream explained. "The runes on these walls all match similar ones on the hallways lining the path to the Vector Sigma chamber, and the glowing patch of floor looks to be some sort of projector."

"Then this might just be what we were looking for," Diana said as she stepped forward, walking towards one of the walls and closely examining a band of glyphs.

"Starscream, this is Doctor Diana Masters, a former educator of the kids' and our resident historical advisor," Optimus explained. "It's thanks to her that we're here."

"Care to fill me in on the details?" Starscream asked.

"According to Vector Prime, four starships left Cybertron about a million years before the Quintessons arrived," Diana explained. "Each of them carried..."

"The four Keys," Starscream realized. "And you believe one of them to be here on Earth?"

"One of the ships was named _Atlantis_," Diana explained. "It shares its name with one of the oldest myths in all of human history. That's too big to be a coincidence."

"Agreed," Starscream replied. "Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to find anything out. I attempted to bring the projector online, but it didn't respond. It may need a specific Transformer to activate it."

"Or it may need one with a specific item," Optimus noted as he stepped forward onto the glowing patch near the projector.

As he set foot onto the projector, the entire chamber came alive with light, prompting the humans to temporarily avert their gaze as a large projection came up from the floor. As they watched, a tall robotic form came into being, its armor giving of an aura of age and grace with the blue symbol of the Key of Wisdom gracing its left shoulder.

"Welcome, keeper," the projection said in an aged voice that suggested wisdom and experience. "Those who view this come seeking the children of _Atlantis_. I am Methius Prime, their progenitor. Recorded here is their story...and mine."

"That confirms our theory," Diana realized aloud.

The wall behind the projection came alive, showing images long ago. As those gathered watched and listened, the hologram continued to tell its story. "Countless ages ago, _Atlantis_ departed from its home, forged from a moon by the creator, Primus. I was its lone custodian, its keeper and its captain. With _Atlantis_ came two other vessels, _Mu_ and _Lemuria_, to this young, unnamed world, crewed by Accellas Prime and Draco Prime. For countless millennia, we watched over this world from low orbit, and kept sight as life grew, evolved, and came into its own. Some time later, _Mu_ and _Lemuria_ left this world, hoping to decrease their involvement in the lives of the native population. I chose to stay.

"As humanity grew, I took it upon myself to watch them, aid them where possible. I taught them of the use of fire, of shelter. Many looked up to me like a god; I pulled back then, feeling that I had done too much. At the same time, however, I regretted leaving, feeling as if I'd abandoned them to fate despite my attempts to aid them and realizing that, with my seclusion from my siblings and my homeworld, I was alone. To that end, I tapped into the power of my gift from Primus, the Key of Wisdom, and created life.

"As time wore on, I and my children watched as humanity grew. Wandering tribes became cities, civilizations, empires. I watched with joy, but some of my children watched greedily; despite my seclusion, I was still worshiped by some as a god, as were my children. Some sought to rule over this young world, and to make it their own domain. With this, I realized my folly, and that the stain of Iskaros had marked all of us. Now I fear that unless my wayward children are stopped, they will rampage and destroy all that man has built. This is my folly, and I shall end it.

"I have left instructions to those who remain at my side; should any survive, they will send _Atlantis_ into the depths, away from man and unable to influence mankind any longer. We will watch, and wait, and perhaps one day, we shall be reunited with our brethren. Until that day, until all are one, we shall wait. If you seek us, then you shall find us when we are most needed. Farewell."

The image faded, and the walls darkened once more.

"Well that was a big help," Overhaul noted. "What did that tell us?"

"It confirmed a lot that we suspected," Diana pointed out. "According to the Atlantis myth, the island attempted to conquer the known world. A group of conquest-minded Transformers would be more than up to the task, and an opposing group would definitely be able to aid them. And that's just the half of it; for all we know, Methius Prime might not have been the only one to inspire myths and legends."

"It doesn't tell us where _Atlantis_ is, though," Beachcomber noted.

The walls suddenly came to life again as what looked to be a map of the Earth appeared on the walls around them, a golden symbol of a cross over a circle with the symbol of the Key of Wisdom in its bottom left corner made prominent in an area near Bermuda.

"Well, for once I'm speechless," Beachcomber noted.

"Everyone, I think we've found _Atlantis_," Optimus said in surprised awe.

* * *

"Let this serve as an abject lesson for everyone of the folly of betraying me," Megatron said as he tossed the shattered and charred remnants of the Destruction Team to the feet of his soldiers. "Those who betray me will know nothing but the cold grip of the Void. Those who are loyal to me...will live to see another sunrise." With a smile, he turned to face one of his soldiers and said, "Well done, Tidal Wave. You and your partner played your role to the hilt."

"What can I say?" Tidal Wave asked with a hint of pride. "Sometimes the role just works for you."

"Quite," Megatron noted. He turned to the gathered Mini-Cons that had previously served Dualor and said, "Now, who do you serve?"

The gathered Mini-Cons stood at attention and proclaimed, "We serve Megatron."

"Excellent," Megatron noted.

Skywarp's eyes narrowed as he watched the display, but he relaxed as he considered just what he'd done in retaliation for Dualor's actions.

Before anything else could be done, however, as Thunderblast entered, shock on her face.

"Thunderblast?" Megatron asked. "Report."

"Um, well..." Thunderblast replied, "it's like this; there was a bunch of Mini-Cons over where that Decepticon was coming in and...he took them."

"He WHAT?" Megatron asked. "Which teams?"

"Oh, what does it matter?" Thunderblast asked, trying to be both dismissive and affectionate. "I mean, it was just a few little, unimportant Mini-Cons. So what if a couple of them combined into a massive, very dangerous looking cannon?"

"The Requiem Blaster," Megatron said angrily. He bellowed, "Thundercracker, sensors, now!"

The blue Seeker rushed to the sensor console, then quickly punched in some commands. "I've got him; he's already starting to make planet-fall. And it looks like he's towing something; it's got a beacon...it's an escape pod."

"From where?" Megatron asked.

Thundercracker nervously replied, "This ship."

* * *

"I'll say this for Skywarp," Wreckage noted, "he knows how to get a job done."

Gathered within the stasis pod along with the Land Military Team members were the Air Military, Energon, Space, and Exploration Teams, as well as Armorhide, Ironhide, Cliffjumper, and Nightcruz.

"And I'll say this for our friend 'Sky Shadow'," Terradive noted approvingly, "he knows how to have fun!"

* * *

"Mission success-(crshh)" Jetfire said over the comm.-line. "Heading back to (crshh) with the rescued Mini-(crshh) then some."

"Understood, we'll meet you there," Optimus replied. As the comm.-line went off, he turned to Starscream and asked, "I'm assuming you have something to do with this."

"A minor contingency plan," Starscream explained with a slight smirk. "In the event that Dualor actually made a move, Skywarp and the others would get the non-partnered Mini-Cons to an escape pod, and make it look like they'd escaped on their own. The various partners are still up there, however, but I think this is a good place to start."

"I won't argue with the results," Optimus noted. "So, now what? You can't exactly go back to the _Nemesis_."

"Unfortunately, no," Starscream replied. "I'm going to need somewhere to set up shop."

Optimus turned towards the Decepticon and smiled. "I might have just the place."

* * *

The doors slid aside as Optimus entered the command center, the various Autobots under his command arrayed around him, their Mini-Con and human allies standing at their feet.

Optimus surveyed each of them, then said, "Well, light it up."

With those words, Coby reached over to a nearby switch and flipped it. Within seconds, screens came online, status monitors came alive, and lights switched on.

"Autobase Earth online," the computer announced.

As the gathered Transformers and their allies congratulated themselves on a job well done, Optimus smiled. While he had no idea of what the future would hold, he knew this for certain; the day was won.

For the time being, that was good enough for him.

The End


End file.
